1. Agency Secretary Visits Martha’s Village & Kitchen
2. Martha’s Village and Me
3. The CREED as Felt by Martha’s Village & Kitchen Children
4. Martha’s Children’s Program Thrives

Agency Secretary Visits Martha’s Village & Kitchen
By Diane Glanz – MV&K Fundraising/Public Relations

   Maria Contreras-Sweet, California Secretary of Business, Transportation & Housing, toured Martha’s Village & Kitchen in late September with Co-founders Gloria Gomez and Claudia Castorena, and Tom Martin, benefactor.

   Contreras-Sweet visited the Village’s Career and Education Center and remarked on its “comprehensive design,” specifically the meshing of its major components - career/vocational education, adult basic education, and life skills. Aware of the Coachella Valley’s large migrant farmworker population, she questioned the Village’s response to their specific needs. Chelsea Mari, career and education program manager, commented, “Martha’s maintains a very close-knit relationship with Desert Alliance for Community Empowerment for immigration services and we have added a citizenship component to some classes to address this concern.”

   Anna Plaster, case management program director, observed that the Secretary “seemed sincerely interested in the Village and its mission” as she toured the residence area. Eyes teared as a young, single mother told Contreras-Sweet the story of the personal circumstances that led her to Martha’s.

   Visiting the stomach of our organization, the kitchen, Secretary Contreras-Sweet voiced approval that Martha’s menus are “nutritionally structured and wholesome.” Patrick Sheehan, facility operations program manager, informed the touring group, “Approximately 700 meals are served daily to our public guests, residents, Head Start children, and staff,” he said. “Additionally, coffee and some type of sweet is served every morning to provide sustenance to our early arrivals.”

   Next stop was the medical clinic. Dr. April Dawson, medical director, and Lorraine Bustamante, health services program manager, spoke of the difficulty that people with no medical insurance have in obtaining health care services. However, Dr. Dawson noted, “We offer medical care to all those without medical insurance at Martha’s.”

   The Secretary finished her tour by visiting the Martha’s childcare area. Children’s Services Program Manager Patricia Danova affirmed that the Indio Village currently “has 66 resident children enrolled in its day care program and 17 in the Head Start program.” When asked how resident parents handle childcare while working evenings or weekends, Danova said that the parents work together cooperatively to handle any extended work hours.

   Co-founders Gloria Gomez and Claudia Castorena found the visit to be very rewarding and successful. Contreras-Sweet “was very impressed with the facility and its services,” said Gomez, “In fact, the Secretary plans to urge Governor Gray Davis to visit Martha’s and will suggest that all our elected representatives visit our wonderful facility.”